Offset floor-fitting and connection.



P. M. HOTCHKIN.

OFFSET FLOOR FITTING AND CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 23. 19M.

1, 178,804. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Jae/7%? 77/ W a wdaw PAUL M. HOTCHKIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

OFFSET FLOOR-FITTING AND CONNECTION.

To all whom itvmay concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL M. Ho'rc-HKIN, a, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State .lowing is a specification.

of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ofl'set Floor-Fittings and Connections, of which the fol- My invention relates to a lighting system for show-cases or display counters, and

more particularlyto an offset fitting to be placed in the floor for the purpose of providing a handy means for insulating and leading the wires through the floor from the hollow tube or conduit within the showcase to the continuation of said conduit below the floor,

The principal objects of my invention are the provision of an off-set fitting that is both neat and attractive in appearance, is,

compact in construction, and is effective in performing the respective functions for which it is designed.

Another object of my invention is to construct an off-set fitting of this character that is adapted to be easily secured in position at the corner of a show-case floor and will readily fit into the timbers forming the frame work of the case below the floor.

Still another object is the provision of a suitable couplin'g forming a part of said fitting whereby the vertical tube of the lighting system may be secured thereto in such manner as to render the screw threads invisible, thereby making a neat connection. And another object is to so arrange and dispose the parts of the fitting and coupling that the lighting system may be constructed as an integral unit, composed of conduit, junction or outlet boxes, sockets, reflector or casings, etc., and the whole placed-in position within the show case after being assembled and then connected with the conduit below the showcase floor through the medium of my novel fitting and coupling.

The above and other objects I prefer to accomplish bythe means and in the manner hereinafter fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had .to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in

which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective I view of a lower outer corner of a wood frame show case showing my novel fitting and connection or coupling in pos1t1on in Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed November 23, 1914. Serial No. 873,465.

the interior thereof. ig. 2 is a vertical side elevation of my invention showing a portlon at one end brokeil away to disclose the construction and arrangement of the interior thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan of the off set fitting having the cover plate removed. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cover plate. i

In the drawings, similar reference characters indicate the same elements throughout the various figures.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the show-case or display counter, comprises a vertical angular front frame 5' and similar side frame 6 preferably of wooden strips suitably joined together, and the whole mounted upon a floor 7 supported on timbers 8. The vertical conduit 9 through which the wiring passes down from the-upper or horizontal wall of the case is disposed 1n the corner formed by the abutting vertical rails of these front and side frames. This vertical conduit 9 is preferablyassembled with the horizontal conduit and other elements (not shown) before'being placed in the case, and said vertical conduit is adapted to be severed a slight distanceabove the plane of the floor as shown inFig. 2 prior to being attached or coupled to the OE set fitting. This ofi' set fitting comprises of a cast metal substantially rectangular shaped box consisting of a bottom 10, longitudinal vertical side walls 11, 11, and;

disposed in a plane below the horizontal plane of the upper edge'of the side and end walls of the box and is provided with an interiorly projecting lug 14. All of the above mentioned parts of the box I prefer to cast integrally of one piece of metal although it is obvious it may readily be made of several parts if desired and bolted or riveted together. This lug is internally screw threaded to receive a short threaded nipple 15 which is secured therein a distance to permitits upper end to extend above the adjacent walls of the box. An internally threaded sleeve or collar 16 is adapted to be secured on to said nipple until its lower end abuts against the top of lug 14 before mentioned. The lower end of the vertical conduit 9 is placed above the nippleiin substantially axial alinement therewith and the collar or sleeve 16 screwed up thereon until the threads on said conduits are entirely covered thereby, whereupon said parts are locked together by a transverse lock-bolt 17 tapped through the collar and having its inner end adapted to engage the adjacent portion of the conduit.

The bottom of the box adjacent the end wall opposite the coupling or inlet end is provided with an outlet opening 18 to which a' counduit 19 (preferably flexible conduit) is connected in any suitable manner. It will of course be understood that the circuit wires are adapted to beinserted through the coupling, the box, and into the outlet conduit 19 during the assembling operations or steps.

In order to facilitate the placing of the box in the floor and frame of the show case I have found it, in most instances, to be a comparatively easy matter to simply bore three holes 20, 21 and 22 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and seat the box in the recess formed thereby. After being seated in the recess a rectangular shaped flat cover plate 23 is placed over the upper portion of the box and secured thereby by screws that tap into lateral screw lugs 24 on the side walls of the box, and in order to retain the same in place suitable screws are likewise tapped through the cover plate into the timber surrounding the box. A suitably segmental shaped recess 25 is formed in one corner of the cover plate so that the same will fit snugly around the sleeve or collar 16 when the structure is completely assembled, this giving a neatly finished appearance to the fitting.

While I have illustrated and described certain specific means for carrying out my invention, it of course willbe obvious to others skilled in the art, that numerous changes and modifications thereof are possible without materially departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore desire it understood that all such modifications are contemplated within the scope of my invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. A junction-box comprising a suitable bottom, side and end-walls, an inwardly projecting threaded boss on one of said end walls, a nipple tapped into said boss and extending past the top of said box, a threaded sleeve on said nipple and adapted to connect the same with a section of conduit, and a second section of conduit adapted to be connected to an opening in one of said walls.

2. A device of the kind specified comprising a box-like casting consisting of bottom, side and end walls, one of said end walls provided with a threaded substantially cylindrical enlargement a portion of whichv extends lnto the interior of said casting, a threaded nipple mounted on said en largement, a sleeve removably mounted on said nipple and adapted to connect a conduit thereto, and an opening in one of the walls of said box opposite said enlargement and to which a second section of conduit is adapted to be connected.

8. A device of the kind specified comprising a box-like casting consisting of bottom, side and end walls adapted to be fitted in the floor of a show-case with the upper edges of its side and end walls flush with the upper surface of said floor, an enlargement in one of said end walls, a nipple mounted on said enlargement to which a conduit is adapted to be connected, one of said walls provided with an opening, and a cover plate overhanging and secured to said casting a portion of which fits upon the surface of said floor and is adapted to be secured thereto.

4:. A device of the kind specified comprising a box-like casting consisting of bottom, side and end walls adaptedto be fitted in the floor of a show case with the upper edges of its side and end walls flush with the upper surface of said floor, an enlargement in one of saidend walls, a nipple mounted on said enlargement, a sleeve removably mounted on said nipple to which a conduit is adapted to be connected, one of said walls provided with an opening, and a cover plate overhanging and secured to said casting a portion of. which fits upon the surface of said floor and is adapted to be secured thereto.

5. A device of the kind specified comprising a box-like casting consisting of bottom, side and end walls adapted to be fitted in the floor of a show case with the upper edges of its side and end walls flush with the upper surface of said floor, an enlargement in one of said walls, a nipple mounted on said enlargement, a sleeve removably mounted on said nipple, to which a conduit is adaptedto be connected, one of said walls provided with an opening, and a cover plate overhanging and secured to said casting and having a cut-away portion that fits around said nipple and the remaining portion of which fits upon the surface of said floor and is adapted to be secured thereto.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in the presence of two witnesses.

PAUL M. HOTGHKIN.

Witnesses:

E. K. LUNDY, Jr., WM. HAROLD EIcHELMAN. 

